JP7656519B2 - Forklift transport aids - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a transport aid that can be used when performing loading and unloading operations using a forklift.

When using a forklift to handle cargo, the cargo is lifted and transported by placing it on a pallet or platform into which the forks can be inserted, or by placing the cargo on a timber beam and inserting the forks from underneath. In addition to the forklift operator riding in the vehicle to handle the cargo, a forklift operation support device has been disclosed that uses cameras and sensors mounted on the forklift to recognize where the cargo should be placed and aligns the position by displaying a loading guide on a monitor (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2021-031210 A

When using a forklift to handle loading and unloading, there is a risk of the load falling over if the center of gravity of the load on the platform is misaligned. Because the platform on which the load is placed is in the blind spot of the operator, in order to lower the load with the forks in line with the platform's center of gravity, an assistant must guide the load, or the operator must get off the vehicle and check directly. This creates the problem that it takes time and effort to carry out loading and unloading operations safely.

The present invention was developed in consideration of these problems, and one of its objectives is to provide a transport aid that can be conveniently used when performing loading and unloading work with a forklift.

The transport aid according to one embodiment of the present invention has a plate-shaped member that is placed on a cart, and a block of material that is spaced apart from the top surface of the plate-shaped member and extends in one direction. It is preferable that the side of the plate-shaped member is colored. It is preferable that the plate-shaped member is transparent.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the underside of the plate-shaped member may be provided with a positioning member that positions the plate-shaped member at the center of the platform of the cart. The outer end of the plate-shaped member may be provided with a stopper that prevents luggage placed on the plate-shaped member from protruding. The upper surface of the plate-shaped member may be provided with a second rectangular piece extending in a direction intersecting the first direction, outside the at least two rectangular pieces.

The transport aid according to the present invention has a plate-shaped member and a square piece of material, and a colored portion is provided at the end of the plate-shaped member, so that when loading and unloading work is performed using a forklift, the colored portion can be used as a marker to place the cargo in line with the center of gravity of the cart.

1A shows a carrying aid according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a plan view, (B) is a front view, and (C) is a side view. 1A to 1C show a loading and unloading operation using a transport aid according to one embodiment of the present invention, and show a sequence of operations thereof. 1A shows a carrying aid according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a plan view, (B) is a front view, and (C) is a side view. 1A shows a carrying aid according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a plan view, (B) is a front view, and (C) is a side view. 1A shows a carrying aid according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a plan view, (B) is a front view, and (C) is a side view. 1A shows a carrying aid according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a plan view, (B) is a front view, and (C) is a side view. 1A shows a carrying aid according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a plan view, (B) is a front view, and (C) is a side view.

The following describes the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention can be implemented in many different ways, and should not be interpreted as being limited to the description of the embodiments exemplified below. In order to clarify the explanation, the drawings may show the width, thickness, shape, etc. of each part in a schematic manner compared to the actual embodiment, but these are merely examples and do not limit the interpretation of the present invention. In this specification and each figure, elements similar to those described above with respect to the previous figures are given the same reference numerals (or reference numerals with a, b, etc. suffixed to the numerals) and detailed explanations may be omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, the letters "first" and "second" attached to each element are convenient labels used to distinguish each element, and have no further meaning unless otherwise specified.

[First embodiment]
1A to 1C show a transportation aid 100 according to this embodiment, where (A) is a plan view, (B) is a front view, and (C) is a side view. The transportation aid 100 according to this embodiment can be suitably used when performing loading and unloading work using a forklift.

The transport aid 100 includes a plate-like member 102 and at least a square timber 104. The plate-like member 102 is a flat member having a rectangular shape in a plan view. The square timbers 104 are rectangular bar-like members, and two of them are arranged at a distance on the upper surface of the plate-like member 102. For example, the two square timbers 104 are arranged side by side so as to be roughly parallel to the short side of the plate-like member 102. The two square timbers 104 are arranged so that there is a gap between them that allows the forks of a forklift to be inserted. In addition, the two square timbers 104 are arranged so that their positions are roughly equal in the front-to-back, left-to-right and right-to-left directions within the surface of the plate-like member 102.

The beams 104 may simply be placed on the top surface of the plate-like member 102, or may be fixed with adhesive or fasteners (screws, bolts, etc.). When the beams 104 are not fixed to the plate-like member 102, the spacing between them can be adjusted as needed, which is convenient for loading and unloading operations. When the beams 104 are fixed to the plate-like member 102, the position of the beams 104 can be stably maintained, which improves the workability of loading and unloading operations.

The transport aid 100 is used by being placed on a cart 200. The cart 200 has a platform 202 and casters 204, and is configured to be movable on the floor surface by human power or an automatic guided vehicle 300 (AGV). The casters 204 are preferably provided at four locations on the platform 202, allowing it to move freely in all directions, forward and backward, left and right, and diagonally. The transport aid 100 placed on the cart 200 is positioned so that the underside of the plate-like member 102 is in contact with the platform 202 and the beam 104 is exposed above the platform 202. As shown in Figures 1B and 1C, the luggage 400 to be transported is placed on the beam 104.

The size of the transport aid 100 can be appropriately selected depending on the luggage to be transported, but it is preferable that the end of the plate-shaped member 102 is large enough to be positioned outside the loading platform 202 of the cart 200 along its entire circumference. In a plan view, the plate-shaped member 102 is preferably the same size as the luggage 400 to be transported. In addition, the plate-shaped member 102 may be larger than the luggage 400 to be transported in a plan view. By having the plate-shaped member 102 of the transport aid 100 have such a size, when performing loading and unloading work with a forklift, the operator can visually check the edge (end) of the plate-shaped member 102 and place the outer end of the luggage 400 in line with the edge (end) of the plate-shaped member 102.

The side (edge) of the plate-like member 102 may have a colored portion 106 that is colored to improve visibility. The coloring applied to the colored portion 106 is preferably a bright color among chromatic colors, such as yellow, orange, green, etc. The coloring applied to the colored portion 106 may be a bright fluorescent color, or any design or pattern may be expressed by combining such a chromatic color with an achromatic color (chestnut, gray, white). The colored portion 106 may be colored with paint such as paint, or a colored adhesive tape may be attached. Although not shown, a light-emitting diode may be provided on the side (edge) of the plate-like member 102 to form the colored portion 106.

The plate-like member 102 may be made of a transparent material. For example, the plate-like member 102 is preferably made of a transparent plastic such as acrylic, polyethylene terephthalate, or polycarbonate. By making the plate-like member 102 transparent, the contrast with the colored portion 106 formed on the side (edge) can be increased, and visibility can be improved. In addition, when the transport aid 100 is placed on the dolly 200, it can be visually confirmed that the center of gravity is located at the center of the loading platform 202. Furthermore, by making the plate-like member 102 of a lightweight material such as plastic, the transport aid 100 can be made lighter, reducing labor and improving workability.

Figures 2 (A) to (C) show a series of steps in loading and unloading operations. Figure 2 (A) shows the stage where a forklift 402 transports a load 400 to the position of the dolly 200. The transport aid 100 is set in advance on the dolly 200. There is no limit to the type of load 400 transported by the forklift 402, but Figures 2 (A) to (C) show the case where the load 400 is a plasterboard.

Figure 2 (B) shows the stage of placing the luggage 400 on the cart 200. The operator must carefully operate the forklift 402 so that the center of gravity of the luggage 400 is aligned with the center of the cart 200. At this time, the luggage 400 is lifted to a specified height by the forks, and the operator cannot directly see the entire cart 200, but can see the edge of the transportation aid 100. The colored portion 106 is provided on the edge of the transportation aid 100 according to this embodiment to improve visibility. Therefore, the operator can place the luggage 400 on the cart 200 (more precisely, on the transportation aid 100) using the colored portion 106 as a marker.

Specifically, the operator operates the forklift 402 to align the front edge W1 of the luggage 400 with the front edge W2 of the transport aid 100 when adjusting the position in the forward/backward direction, and to align the side edge D1 of the luggage 400 with the side edge D2 of the transport aid 100 when adjusting the position in the left/right direction. Visibility is improved because a colored portion 106 is provided at the end (edge) of the plate-like member 102 of the transport aid 100. The size of the plate-like member 102 in a plan view is the same as that of the luggage 400, so that the luggage 400 can be placed using the colored portion 106 as a marker and then unloaded in line with the center of gravity of the trolley 200.

Figure 2 (C) shows the state in which the cargo 400 has been placed on the cart 200 in this manner. In reality, the cargo 400 is placed on top of the timbers 104 arranged side by side. Because the spacing between the timbers 104 is wider than the width of the forks, the forklift 402 can move back after lowering the cargo 400 and leave the cart 200. The cargo 400 placed on the timbers 104 is placed in line with the center of gravity of the cart 200, so it can remain stable and not collapse even when it leaves the forklift 402.

2(B) is an example in which the size of the plate-like member 102 is the same as the size of the luggage 400 in a plan view, but the plate-like member 102 may be larger than the luggage 400 and have its ends protruding outward. When the ends of the plate-like member 102 are on the outside of the luggage 400, the operator can visually check the ends of the plate-like member 102, and can lower the luggage 400 by assuming the center of gravity of the cart 200 based on the ends.

As described above, the transport aid 100 according to this embodiment has a plate-like member 102 and a square timber 104, and the plate-like member 102 has a colored portion 106 at its end (edge), allowing the luggage 400 to be placed using the colored portion 106 as a marker. By setting such a transport aid 100 on the dolly 200, the luggage 400 can be placed in alignment with the center of gravity of the dolly 200. In this case, since the plate-like member 102 is transparent, the transport aid 100 can be set in alignment with the center of the dolly 200. Furthermore, since the plate-like member 102 is made of a lightweight material, the labor required can be reduced and workability can be improved.

[Second embodiment]
3A to 3C show the carrying aid 100 according to this embodiment, where (A) is a plan view, (B) is a front view, and (C) is a side view. In the following explanation, the differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and explanations of overlapping parts will be omitted as appropriate.

The transport aid 100 according to this embodiment has a positioning member 108 for setting the plate-like member 102 in alignment with the center of the cart 200. The positioning member 108 is provided on the underside of the plate-like member 102. The positioning member 108 is made of a plate material and is formed in a shape that protrudes outward so as to contact the side of the loading platform 202 of the cart 200. The positioning member 108 can be considered a guide plate that abuts against the side of the loading platform 202.

There is no limitation on the position of the positioning member 108, so long as it is in a position where it abuts against the side of the loading platform 202. Furthermore, there is no limitation on the shape of the positioning member 108, so long as it functions as a guide plate. For example, as shown in FIG. 3(A), the positioning member 108 may have a hook shape so as to abut against a corner of the loading platform 202 in a plan view. A positioning member 108 having such a shape may be provided at least in one place on the underside of the plate-like member 102, and preferably in multiple places. For example, as shown in FIG. 3(A), it may be provided in four places corresponding to the corners of the loading platform 202.

4(A) to (C) show an example in which the positioning member 108 is formed of a protruding member protruding from the underside of the plate-like member 102. Here, FIG. 4(A) shows a plan view, (B) shows a front view, and (C) shows a side view. When a single-pipe hole is provided in the loading platform 202 of the dolly 200, a protruding member can be provided to fit into the single-pipe hole 206 and used as the positioning member 108. The protruding member as the positioning member 108 needs to be provided at least in one place on the underside of the plate-like member 102 in accordance with the arrangement of the single-pipe hole 206, and preferably in multiple places. For example, as shown in FIG. 3(A), it may be provided in four places corresponding to the corners of the loading platform 202.

According to this embodiment, the positioning member 108 is provided on the transport aid 100, so that the plate member 102 can be easily set to align with the center of the cart 200. The transport aid 100 according to this embodiment is similar to that of the first embodiment except for the positioning member 108, and can achieve the same effects.

[Third embodiment]
5A to 5C show the carrying aid 100 according to this embodiment, where (A) is a plan view, (B) is a front view, and (C) is a side view. In the following explanation, the differences from the first embodiment will be mainly explained, and explanations of overlapping parts will be omitted as appropriate.

The transport aid 100 according to this embodiment has a structure in which a stopper 110 is provided on a plate-like member 102. The stopper 110 is disposed on the end of the plate-like member 102 and is provided so as to protrude upward. The shape of the stopper 110 is arbitrary, and it is formed from a plate material or a bar material. The stopper 110 is used for positioning the luggage 400 when it is placed on the square timber 104.

The stopper 110 is not limited to a position where it can be placed as long as it does not prevent the luggage 400 from being placed horizontally on the beam 104. In addition, the stopper 110 is not limited to a position where it can be placed as long as it can accurately determine the position of the luggage 400. For example, as shown in FIG. 5(A), the stopper 110 may have a hook shape in a plan view and be provided to correspond to the corner of the plate-like member 102. Such a stopper 110 may be provided at least in one place so as to protrude upward from the plate-like member 102, and preferably in multiple places. For example, as shown in FIG. 5(A), the stopper 110 may be provided in four places corresponding to the corners of the plate-like member 102. When the luggage 400 is placed on the beam 104, the luggage 400 may be placed inside the stopper 110. By providing the stopper 110 on the plate-like member 102, the luggage 400 can be accurately placed on the transportation aid 100 without causing positional deviation in the front-back and left-right directions.

6(A) to (C) show an example in which the stopper 110 is arranged on one side of the plate-like member 102. Here, FIG. 6(A) shows a plan view, (B) shows a front view, and (C) shows a side view. When the stopper 110 is arranged on one side of the plate-like member 102, the position of the luggage 400 can be adjusted so that it is moved to one side. Since the size of the plate-like member 102 in a plan view is the same as the size of the luggage 400, the luggage 400 can be accurately placed on the transportation aid 100 in this manner as well. In addition, by making the stopper 110 on the front side when carrying in the luggage 400 flat rather than hook-shaped and not providing a stopper on the front side of the plate-like member 102, it is possible to easily adjust the front and rear when unloading the luggage 400.

According to this embodiment, the transportation aid 100 is provided with a stopper 110, so that the luggage 400 can be lowered so that it is aligned with the center of the plate-like member 102. The transportation aid 100 according to this embodiment is similar to that of the first embodiment except for the stopper 110, and can achieve the same effects. The transportation aid 100 according to this embodiment can be appropriately combined with the configuration according to the second embodiment.

[Fourth embodiment]
7A to 7C show the carrying aid 100 according to this embodiment, where (A) is a plan view, (B) is a front view, and (C) is a side view. In the following explanation, the differences from the first embodiment will be mainly explained, and explanations of overlapping parts will be omitted as appropriate.

The carrying aid 100 according to this embodiment has a configuration in which, in addition to the square timber 104 arranged in a direction parallel to the short side of the plate-like member 102, a second square timber 112 is added to the outside of the square timber 104. The second square timber 112 is arranged so as to extend in a direction parallel to the long side of the plate-like member 102. In other words, the second square timber 112 is arranged so as to extend in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the square timber 104.

In this way, by adding the second beam 112 onto the plate-like member 102, luggage can be transported in a more stable state when using the cart 200. The transport aid 100 according to this embodiment is similar to that of the first embodiment except for the provision of the second beam 112, and can achieve the same effects. The transport aid 100 according to this embodiment can be appropriately combined with the configurations according to the second and third embodiments.

100: Transport aid, 102: Plate-shaped member, 104: Square timber, 106: Colored part, 108: Positioning member, 110: Stopper, 112: Second square timber, 200: Cart, 202: Loading platform, 204: Caster, 206: Single pipe hole, 300: Automatic transport vehicle, 400: Luggage, 402: Forklift

Claims (7)

A plate-like member placed on the carriage;
At least two square members are arranged on the upper surface of the plate-like member at a distance from each other and extend in one direction ,
A transport aid characterized in that a stopper is provided at the outer end of the plate-like member to prevent luggage placed on the plate-like member from spilling out . The carrying aid according to claim 1, in which the side of the plate-like member is colored. The transport aid according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a positioning member is provided on the underside of the plate-like member to position the center of the plate-like member at the center of the platform of the dolly. The transport aid according to claim 3, wherein the positioning member is a guide plate that abuts against the side of the loading platform. The transport aid according to claim 3, wherein the positioning member is a protruding member that fits into a single pipe hole provided in the loading platform. 6. A transportation aid according to claim 1 , further comprising a second beam extending in a direction intersecting the one direction and provided on the outer side of the at least two beams. 7. A carrying aid as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the plate-like member is transparent.

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